15 Best Cold Snacks For Summer

Every summer, people find time to soak up some sun and enjoy seasonal delights, like barbecue dinners and picnic trips. While outings and events are often tons of fun, July and August can have the highest temperatures of the year. Consequently, it's important to stay cool throughout the day, and one tasty way to do so is by having delicious cold snacks.

Now, it can be tough to know which snacks to bring to the beach or the park, especially on those extra hot days. To help you cope with some of the hottest months of the year, we've gathered a list of the best snacks to help you beat the heat. These easy to prepare snacks are great for the whole family, and some come with lots of hydration and natural flavors, providing a refreshing twist on traditional summer snacks. Here are the 15 best cold snacks for summer.

Eating fresh vegetables as a snack is usually a good idea, if only for the various health benefits compared to processed foods. Yet during the summer, certain veggies are better than others. With that in mind, one of the best cold snacks you can grab during these hot months is the humble cucumber, which can be found at most grocery stores in multiple varieties.

Simply put, "cool as a cucumber" is an apt saying. The vegetable manages to stay cool thanks to its high water content, which sits around 95%, which also makes cucumbers a fantastic snack for staying hydrated. Preparing them is simple, as well, since they can be eaten raw. While some varieties (like baby cucumbers) are small enough to fit into a lunch box, it's usually best to slice them. Then you can top them with your favorite seasoning, or toss them in an Italian salad dressing.

Even if you don't slice them, seasoning cucumbers before eating will almost assuredly make this cold summer snack even more enjoyable. Cucumbers are a good option for meal prepping, too, as they can usually be stored for up to 14 days in the fridge.

Summer snacking isn't all about sweet treats and juicy fruits — it's also a time for vegetable gardening and enjoying fresh harvests. On that note, sometimes the easiest solutions are the best, which may be the case when it comes to veggie sticks. Thanks in part to the high water content of most vegetables, these cold snacks tend to stay quite cool long after being pulled from the fridge.

When it comes to making a veggie snack plate, slicing vegetables into sticks not only leaves a pretty display, but is easier to share with family and friends (particularly children). Since they can be made from celery, bell peppers, carrots, squash, or any number of other veggies, it's easy to include something for everyone. Once you have them all chopped, you can top veggie sticks with all kinds of spreads.

Many people are familiar with ants on a log, which is celery topped with peanut butter and raisins. However, peanut butter is great with other veggies, as well, while celery can be paired with hummus or cream cheese just as easily. Plus, putting a veggie stick plate on some ice will help keep them cool even while outdoors, without making the topping too stiff. You can transport veggie sticks in a container of water, too, or purchase them pre-packaged at the store.

Bell peppers are well known for their crisp texture and mild flavor. If you're looking for a cold summer snack that's ready to be picked over by party guests, though, mini peppers may be a better way to go. Sometimes called mini sweet peppers, these veggies can be eaten straight from the bag. However, with a bit of stuffing, you can punch this up into summer treat that beats the heat at the same time.

Similar to jalapeño poppers, mini peppers filled with cheese offers a quick and easy combination that most everyone will love. You can use cream cheese to avoid the oven and keep the food's temperature down. But if cream cheese isn't your favorite ingredient, there are plenty of other cold fillings that will work well.

For instance, hummus pairs very well with mini peppers and is quite filling. Likewise, any variety of salsa, including corn and bean salsa, can make a stuffed pepper really pop. No matter what, mini peppers stuffed with a cold filling can make for some seriously chill snacks during the summer.

Summer is the time of peaches, watermelon, and all kinds of other fruits. In fact, when it starts to get really hot? Relying on sweet and juicy fruits seems like a natural solution. But if you take just a few extra steps, you can transform fruit into an even cooler snack food for summer. Rather than digging right into your fruit, try freezing them ahead of time.

It's really as simple as slicing fruit, then placing it on some wax paper in the freezer. The fruit can be cut into fun shapes or cubed to fit into more compact freezers, as well, if desired. Some stores, like Costco, also sell pre-packaged frozen fruit for added convenience, and you can use almost any fruit — from grapes and mango to apples and strawberries.

Using either popsicle sticks or skewers, you can also add handles for easy gripping once the fruit is frozen. And if you're willing to make the extra effort before chilling out in the sun, this cold snack can be made even better with a chocolate or coconut milk shell. Many frozen fruits can even be shared with pets, meaning the whole family can enjoy the dog days of summer.

When it comes to summertime snacking, fresh fruit is always a surefire win. Not only is fresh fruit healthy and delicious, but it's also fairly affordable. Given this, one super simple and refreshing cold snack for summer is a fruit salad.

Making a fruit salad is easy: Simplyt cut up your favorite fruits and throw them in a bowl. And while many store-bought fruit salads feature a lot of melon, your family recipe doesn't necessarily need to feature any melon at all. Pineapple, strawberries, and grapes are perfect for a fruit salad, while more exotic fruits, such as kiwi, starfruit, and mango, can be excellent additions, as well (though they typically come at a higher price than local fruit).

Fruit salad should be kept refrigerated until it's being served. But even if you plan on bringing fruit salad to an outdoor event, there are ways to make sure it stays fresh. Using honey and lemon juice enhances the refreshing taste and also prevents the fruit from browning. You can even create fruit salad dressing with lime and herbs to add a fresh twist to this simple cold snack.

Although most cold snacks for summer hang outs are meant to be desserts, there are a few that can offer a savory flavor. One cold dish that's sure to win over heartier eaters is a well-made pasta salad. There are many different pasta salad recipes to choose from, but each one is meant to be served cold. And while they're normally meant to be side dishes, pasta salads are light and cool enough to act as a quick summer snack.

Given the variety of recipes, it's easy to find one that suits your summer gathering. Macaroni salad is simple enough to make, for instance, but it can also be bought at the store for a fairly cheap price. For a more elevated summer snack, try an antipasti Italian pasta salad, which blends artichoke hearts, olives, and pepperoncini with fresh tomatoes and red onion.

If you're in a hurry and just need something fast, you can always toss cooked pasta in Italian dressing and add a few basic vegetables like tomato or bell pepper. Not only is pasta salad one of the best cold snacks for summer, but it tends to be a very colorful dish once it's been prepared.

Imagine this: The grill is going, but the food won't be done for a while. Everyone is hot and hungry, so what do you do? Well, the easiest solution would be to feed people something to fill their stomachs and cool them off, like potato salad. After all, potato salad can be a fantastic cold summer snack that's sure to satiate guests in no time.

Traditionally a refrigerated side dish, potato salad has a flavor profile ideally suited for a barbecue dinner. There's a reason why potato salad is such a must-have for get-togethers across the U.S., after all. Southern-style potato salad recipes are considered standard, but you can add a variety of herbs and spices to a potato salad to make it your own, too.

Even at most grocery stores, there tend to be multiple varieties of potato salad available. You can add gherkins or celery to your potato salad as a final step, as well, so each bite will have an extra refreshing crispness. Either way, keep everyone cool and happy with potato salad, and feel free to try your own twist on the dish (even if it's not quite dinner time yet).

Even though there are plenty of cold dips and salsas ready to pair with chips, savory cold snacks can be hard to come by. Thankfully, for those who prefer to skip the chips, there's an excellent cold snack available for summer that offers a savory flavor. A salsa-adjacent snack featuring beans, corn, bell pepper, and avocado, cowboy caviar is a versatile dish ready for just about any summer gathering.

Making cowboy caviar isn't too difficult, as it mostly involves chopping and mixing. Once it's made, you can eat it directly as a standalone salad, serve it with chips as a dip, or on hot dogs or tacos as a flavor-packed topping. And this half-salad, half-dip dish looks great on the table, too, thanks to the variety of colors from the different vegetables mixed together. Crisp bell pepper, juicy corn kernels, and light avocado mix with the cool beans while a dash of lemon or lime prevents browning, giving you a cold snack for summer that friends and family will be asking for every year.

Finger food is always great, but during the heat of the summer, choosing an appetizer or snack that's also cold is a good idea. Made with cold cuts, cheese, and light spreads, pinwheel sandwiches are small snacks perfect for busy backyards and poolside activities thanks to their handheld design. Plus, making a platter of pinwheel sandwiches is incredibly simple: Just add your ingredients to a tortilla, roll it up, and slice.

This cold summer snack can be customized every time, as well, making it ideal for all kinds of gatherings. Typical pinwheel sandwiches can include cold cuts (such as salami), crisp vegetables (like cucumber or bell pepper), and basically any cheese. The spread you use can be anything from honey Dijon mustard to garlic hummus, too. If you have a lot of people coming over, consider making multiple varieties of these cold snacks to ensure everybody enjoys your summer party.

There's no need to play it cool during your next summer get together. Sure, you can opt for simple and affordable cold snacks during the summer ... but why not get a little fancy instead when it comes to cold and refreshing snacks? In fact, one of the most elegant appetizers also offers some of the best heat relief: Fresh and cold cocktail shrimp.

Now, this may seem like a splurge purchase to some. But cocktail shrimp are always a tasty snack, plus they can be prepared with almost no effort whatsoever. Pre-packaged cocktail shrimp tend to be the most affordable options, though using fresh shrimp and cooking them yourself isn't too much of a challenge. The type of shrimp you choose largely depends on your cooking abilities and how much effort you're willing to put in.

Of course, cocktail shrimp are best when served with a delicious cocktail sauce. Making your own is quick and easy, though you can also buy one of the many cocktail sauce brands at the store, and still end up with a delicious dish. Even the spiciest cocktail sauces can be refrigerated, so when dipping shrimp, you'll end up with a refreshing bite regardless of which cocktail sauce you most prefer.

Elegant summer events can be magical, especially when they offer delicious food. Of course, a more elevated get-together may require more presentable cold snacks, meaning sloppy ice cream or simple frozen fruit isn't the top choice (even when the weather is hot). Luckily, one cold snack is perfect for an elevated summer evening affair: Prosciutto skewers.

Simple yet rich in flavor, prosciutto skewers are a cold summer snack that bring plenty of style and personalization to the table. These handheld morsels can be made sweet or savory depending on which ingredients you choose, which shouldn't be surprising given prosciutto's many creative uses. For sweeter prosciutto skewers, combine the meat with cantaloupe or watermelon and cheese, such as mozzarella. For a more savory option, pair prosciutto with ingredients like tomato and gouda.

You can even top the skewers with a sauce for extra flavor; balsamic vinegar goes well with just about any prosciutto skewer recipe, for instance. Regardless of which flavor profile you aim for, the meat, produce, and cheese should be cold enough to keep guests cool inside and out.

A light snack is ideal for any day off. Of course, during the summer, it's even more important to have good eats throughout the day. For a cold summer snack that's easy on the eyes (and a cinch to prepare), consider making some fruit-topped bruschetta. Traditional bruschetta recipes combine summer tomatoes with basil and olive oil on a baguette, which is a pretty good combination in its own right. However, if you want something cold, refreshing, and sweet, consider swapping out the tomatoes for tart and juicy strawberries.

This ingredient switch will turn the savory favorite into a sweet new snack, and a few other changes make this strawberry bruschetta recipe work well for summer snacking. The addition of a cheese spread balances the fruit flavor while piling on another cool ingredient to the dish. And the basil and balsamic vinegar are still part of this recipe, giving the whole thing a garden freshness that's apropos of the season.

If you're not a fan of strawberries, don't worry. You can always swap out the strawberries with another fruit; mangoes, peaches, and apples are all great alternatives.

When it's hot outside, sometimes the only cure is frozen delights. Popsicles are some of the best frozen treats you can get. They're available almost everywhere (typically at a very affordable price) and in almost any flavor imaginable. Even if you want a specific type of popsicle, making them from scratch is fairly simple, especially if you have a blender or food processor. There are tons of popsicle recipes available to browse, from healthy vegetable and fruit blends to tasty chai popsicles that are great on a chill summer day.

Popsicles are great for any and all ages, though you may want to think about personal preferences before making a purchase. For example, children are likely to prefer a smaller popsicle than adults. Likewise, a popsicle made with blended greens is probably going to be much more popular with adults than with children.

That being said, some classic fruit and vegetable combos work well together no matter who's judging. Beets with blueberries and carrots with oranges are just two tasty popsicle mixes that can make for a healthy, delicious, and cold snack this summer.

Snack cups may be most reminiscent of after school hours, but they can be an excellent cold snack for summer. And when it comes to choosing a self-contained cold snack that's more than just sugary goodness, yogurt reigns over all. The snack is perfectly cooling for summer afternoons, and it's self-contained design makes it less messy than popsicles or frozen fruit. Plus, yogurt has numerous health benefits, so it's more than just a sweet treat to keep you cool during the summer.

Additionally, yogurt is an ideal option for mixing with fruits and spreads, like jam or Nutella, making it even tastier than usual. There are plenty of variations available at the grocery store. But you can also opt to get vanilla yogurt, then choose mix-ins to add on the fly. Also, freezing yogurt offers a frozen alternative to less healthy snacks, such as ice cream.

Few summer treats are as beloved as ice cream. In fact, the majority of Americans say it just isn't summer without ice cream. Naturally, this is one summer snack you can't pass up when the heat is stifling. This frozen treat is iconic for a number of reasons, ranging from its ultra-sweet taste to its wide range of formats.

Now, there are dozens of ice cream recipes ready for you to make this treat your own. But even if you stick to the grocery store aisles, you'll have plenty of options to choose from. And while ice cream that's vegan or dairy-free used to be rare and expensive, that's simply not true anymore.

Additionally, many ice cream flavors are naturally gluten-free, and most grocery store chains carry ice cream suitable for many restricted diets. In other words, no one needs to feel left out of the summer fun. Whether you serve it in a bowl, have it as a sandwich, or build a towering cone, ice cream is one of the best snacks to cool off with in the summertime.